Engines operating coaxial shafts



Patented Nov. 12, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINES OPERATINGCOAXIAL SHAFTS James B. Brockhurst, Red Bank, N. J. Application August2, 1943, Serial No. 496,984

; Claims. (01. 123-197) I This invention, which comprises a developmentof the improvement disclosed in my application Serial-No. 473,605, filedJanuary 26, 1943, is direot'ed to a prime mover having co-axial drivenshafts which derivemotion therefrom and are capable of rotation atrelatively different speeds.

The co-axial shafts, due to their respective speeds of rotation, may beutilized for a variety of purposes, both mechanical and electrical, andmy present development is therefore not limited to any one particularinstance of power application, but rather to means whereby a singleprime source of power is enabled to cause the rotation, at'diiferentspeeds, of respective co-axial power shafts.

I The example of my invention represented in this application is basedupon a compound internal combustion engine as developed from thedisclosuregiven in my said application Serial No. 473,695, and itembodies a cylinder having a piston whose pistonrod in, thereciprocating action of the pistoniserves to rotate the crank shaft andhence'to rotate the outer one of. the co-axial shafts, the said pistonalso being given .a rotating movement that, through the connecting rodand a system of gears, imparts rotation to the inner one of the co-axialshafts, the R. P., M. of said inner shaft being supplemented by thevspeed of the outershaft, when the shafts arerotated in the samedirection, but the speed of said inner Whilst in my said earlierapplication Serial No.

I 473,605 the expansive power, applied through the rotation of thepiston, is intended to supplement the power exerted upon the crank shaftin the reciprocating action of the piston, the present improvement isdirected to the utilization of the expansive power developed through thepiston rotation for the operation of a shaft that is ensheathed by andis co-axial with the usual crank shaft. herein as the inner shaft incontradistinction to the usual crank shaft, which latter may be styledthe outer shaft.

Said inner shaft, which may continue into or comprise a propeller shaft,when the engine is employed in the operation of aircraft, is capable ofrotation either in the same direction as that of the outer shaft, or inthe opposite direction, ac-

cording to the direction of inclination of the piston flutes; also, theR. P. M. of said inner shaft is governed by the degree of angularity ofsaid fiutes it being notable however that the rate of speed of saidinner shaft, when driven in the same direction as the outer shaft,issupplemented by the 'rotative speed of said outer shaft.

Other features and advantages of my inventio will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing:

Figure'l is a front sectional view of a cylinder with its piston andconnecting rod as part of a nine cylinder, air cooled engine.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the same, and

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the piston showing its peripheral flutes.

Fig. 3A is a cross section of a modified piston having reversed flutes.

In said figures let I indicate a cylinder forming part of a ninecylinder, air cooled engine, only parts of certain remaining cylindersbeing illustrated in Fig. 1. v

The piston for said cylinder is indicated at 2,.it having a lower skirtportion that is provided with piston rings 3, said skirt portion beingcontinued upwardly in bell-like formation 4, with an uppercylindricalportion 5 that carries the piston head 6,,and from saidpiston head 6 there depends an outer concentric wall '4. which, is inmovable opposition to the inner wall of the cylinder. Said wall I isprovided inits outer surface with a series of inclined flutes or vanes8, for a purpose to be referred to hereinafter. An annular gap 9separates the piston skirt. from wall I, said gap so disposed as toregister with a fuel inlet it formed through the cylinder wallwhen thepiston has compressed a charge of air in the cylinder to the point whereliquid fuel, injected as from a nozzle Said ensheathed shaft may bedesignated H through said inlet, will cause ignition and power expansionof the charge.

It will be noted that a chamber [2 is formed between the piston portions4, 5, 6 and I, and that the entry of the air occurs through the singleintake and exhaust valve [3, during the down stroke.

The piston cylindrical portion 5 is shown as threaded interiorly andreceives a screw plug I4, that carries a universal joint l5 from whichde-' pends the connecting rod !6. It should be premised now that thepiston is capable of both reciprocating and rotary movements, also thepiston rod. The piston rod, at its lower end, is revolubly mountedrin abearing member I! that itself is revoluble 0n the crank-pin I8, also thelower end of the piston rod is provided with a bevel gear l9 which is inmesh with a bevel gear 20 carried by a shaft 21 that is journalled inbearing member l'l, said shaft 21 carrying a pinion 22 which isrevoluble on crank-pin l8 and is in mesh engagegagement with a gear 23loosely mounted on 3 crank-pin I8, and in mesh engagement with a gear 24carried by a shaft 25 (the inner shaft) which is ensheathed by androtatable within the crank shaft 26 (the outer shaft).

In the example illustrated the crank shaft is shown as in splinedengagement with the crankpin, though obviously it may be an integralpart thereof. The two-part arrangement is suggested for productionpurposes.

The opposite crank arm 21 carries a crank shaft 28, and operable thereinis an inner shaft 29, whose gear 30 is in mesh with a gear 3| that, like23 is similarly operated through the rotation of piston 2.

My improved engine is intended for use in a variety of automativeapplications wherein a plurality of shafts, actuated by a single piston,are adapted to perform separate and distinct functions in the same powerplant assemblage. Thus, in an airplane the inner and outer shafts mayoperate respective co-axial propellers. Also, one of the shafts mayoperate a supercharger.

For automotive road vehicles respective shafts may operate right andleft drive wheels and function with the aid of suitable differentialgearing.

As will be apparent, the direction of rotation of the piston is governedby the direction of angle given the flutes 8 in the piston periphery, sothat the inner shaft may be caused to rotate either in the samedirection as the outer shaft, or oppositely. Variations within thespirit and scope of my invention are equally comprehended by theforegoing disclosure.

I claim:

1. In an engine, the method of transmitting the power of a prime moverto co-axial telescoped shafts and causing said shafts to rotateindependently in the same direction and means whereby the R. P. M. ofthe inner shaft is supplemented by the R. P. M. of the outer shaft.

2. In an engine, the method of transmitting the power of a prime'moverto co-axial telescoped shafts andcausing said shafts to rotateindependently of each other whereby the R. P. M. of the inner shaft isvaried by the R. P. M. of the outer shaft.

3. In an engine, the method of transmitting the power of a prime moverthrough a plurality of co-ordinated systems of operation having caxialtelescoped shafts rotating independently and in concert in the samedirection and means whereby the R. P. M. of an inner shaft issupplemented by the R. P. M. of an outer shaft.

4. In an engine, the method of transmitting the power of a prime moverthrough a plurality of co-ordinated systems of operation having coaxialtelescoped shafts rotating independently of each other whereby the R. P.M of an inner shaft is varied by the R. P. M. of an outer shaft.

5. In an engine, a cylinder, a piston, a crank shaft and a second shaftrevoluble within said crank shaft, means whereby expansive poweroperates directly to both project and rotate said piston, means wherebythe projecting movement of said piston serves to operate said crankshaft,

and means whereby the rotating movement of said piston serves to operatesaid second shaft.

6. In an engine, the method of transmitting the power of a single primemover directly to telescoped shafts, and causing said shafts to rotateindependently and in concert.

7. In an engine, a cylinder, a hollow piston of fixed cubical capacitytherein, a crank shaft and a second shaft revoluble within said crankshaft, means whereby expansive power, developed from within said pistonoperates directly to both project and rotate said piston, means wherebythe projecting movement of said piston serves to operate said crankshaft, and means whereby the rotating movement of said piston serves tooperate said second shaft.

8. In an engine having an inner and an outer driving shaft rotatedindependently through independent movements of the engine pistons, meansfor rotating the inner shaft through rotating movements of the pistonsand means for rotating the outer shaft through reciprocating movementsof said pistons, whereby the said inner and outer shafts are rotated inconcert to affect the R. P. M. of said inner shaft. 9. In an enginehaving a plurality of independently rotated telescoped shafts, means forrotating the inner shaft independently of the outer shaft and means forrotating the outer shaft independently of the inner shaft, whereby thesaid shafts rotate in concert to affect the R. P. M. of the inner shaft.

10. In an engine having a plurality of independently rotated telescopedshafts, means for rotating the inner shaft at an established rate ofspeed and means for rotating the outer shaft at an established rate ofspeed, whereby the said shafts rotate in concert to affect theestablished rate of speed of the inner shaft.

JAMES B. BROCKHURST.

